Shoe-supporting means for shoe machines



July 20, 1943. B. JRGENsE N 2,324,511

SHOE SUPPORTING MEANS" FOR SHOE MACHINES Original Filed Feb. 4, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 1 [WU 156 15a July 20,1943. B. J ORG ENSEN 2,324,511

SHOE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SHOE MACHINES Original Filed Feb. 4, 1941 2Sheets-She et 2 Figa Patented July 20, 1943 SHOE-SUPPORTING MEANS FORSHOE MACHINES Bernhardt Jorgensen, Marblehead, Mass, as-

Signor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. :Lacorporation \Bf NewJersey Original application February 4, 1941, Serial.No.

377,347. Divided and jthis application March '24, 1942, Serial No,135;!)90

room-ms. (c1. 12.- -l.23)

This invention relates to shoe-supporting means for shoe machines, thisapplication being adivision of a copending application of mine forLetters Patentfor improvements in Machines for use in .the manufactureof shoes, Serial No. 377,347, filed on February 4, '1941. While theinvention is herein illustrated asapplied to a machine of the charactershown in that application, which is a machine for lasting shoe it lowill be understood that it is not limited to machines of that particularkind.

V For supporting ashoe and its last,herein 'frequently referred toinclusively as the shoe,'against pressure-applied on the "bottom of theshoe, the invention, in one aspect, provides a toe rest and an instepsupport and novel means forcontrolling them in such manner as to perm'itthem to adjust themselves to the shoe "by relative movement heightwiseof the shoe. As herein illustrated, the toe rest and the instep supportare controlledjby fluid-operated means comprising cylinders and pistonstherein for moving them respectively into their shoe-supportingpositions while permitting them thus to adjust themselveslto the shoe,the cylinders being in communication with each other and the admissionof the fluid thereto being con- 1 trolledby a valve common toboth orthem. 'Preferably, as shown, the cylinder and piston associated with thetoerest are of greater diameter than thecylinder and piston associatedwith the instep support, so that adequate pressure is applied by the toerest to clamp the shoe against a member engaging the bottom of itsforrepart while any 7, danger of tipping the shoe by thegpressure of theinstep support thereon is avoided. Preferably the operating fluid is aliquid, such .as light oil, and to cause lthe toe rest and the instepsupport to control the shoe in a substantially positive manner aftertheir engagement with it, theinvention provides for locking the fluidin'the operating means.

The inventioniurther provides novel meansfor supporting the-shoeby-engagement'with its-heelend face. For this purpose, the construction7 shown 'comprisesa heel rest "having members arrangedto press on theheel-endface of :the shoe respectively in difierent locations heightwise=of theshoe, these members being movable relatively to eachother aboutdifferent axes extending lat.-

.erally of the shoe and movable also as a *unit substantially positive.manner in that position by control of the operating fluid.

'The above and other features of the invention, including various noveldetails or construction andcombinations of parts, will now be moreparticularly described with reierenoe to the accompanyi-ng drawings andthereafter pointed out in the claims. I

In the drawings,

'Fi 1 aview pa l i e t-hand. d sl w tion and partly in section of aportion of "the machine shown in the above-mentioned applies tion,showing shoe-supporting means provided by the ipresentinvention in.operativerelation to a shoe;

2 sh ws pa tlyin e io a d Pe h 1 section mechanism with) which themachine is provided for controlling the flow of operating fluid to andfrom the means for operating the toe st n the nst supp t:

ig; 3 is a vertical section lengthwise of {the shoe through the heelrest and a portion of its ppor ing means wi the P i filt 1 inop rativepositions; u

Fig. 411s a section on the"lineIVjI'Vo f *3;

and V Fig. .5 is apartly diagrammatic,andipartlysec tional viewillustrating more fully :thanTfig. th characterlqf the meanstfor o e ain th heel rest and showing .a valve which controls glow of fluid to andfrom this operating means.

ma hin shown in t e p eviou. 1y men tioned app a i is a la n m hine te-vine various lasting 'instrumentalities which cooperate to last thetoe end of a shoe positioned bottom up ard, some of wh ch ns rum nt liis e e sho n igbu ne d ot th pa u arl .b t scribed for an understandingof flthe present i vention. They include wipers 2 for wiping themarginal portion of the up erinvvardly over an insole on the "last andfor pressing it down on the insole. The shoe is positionedin proper relltion to these instrumentalitiesfby a member 3 which engages the bottomof the toe end of the insole ,andihya plurality of pins 4 which extendthroughlholesfin the insole intoholes provided in the last. [Theoperator mounts jthe ,shoe on the pins "4 with the insole in engagementWithjihe any downwa d ovement in res ons p m example, to pressure of'thewipers "2 thereon,'and

a heel rest I is moved lengthwise of the shoe into engagement with itsheel-end face to assist in supporting it against displacement in aheelward direction in the lasting operation. The toe rest comprises arubber pad I2 arranged to engage the top of the toe end of the upper anda metal holder I4 for the pad, this holder having a lower end portionformed to lit in a cylinder I6 which is part of a casting I8 secured atits lower end to a frame casting 20.

A depending portion 22 of the holder I4 extends into a bore in a piston24 movable in the cylinder I6 and is connected rigidly to the piston bya cross pin 26 which extends into slots 28 formed in opposite sides ofthe cylinder. The toe rest 6 and the piston 24 are thus movable as aunit between limits determined by the pin 26 and the slots 28, the meansfor thus limiting upward movement of the parts being effective in casethere is no shoe in the machine. Upward movement of the toe rest intoclamping position results from the admission of fluid, preferably lightoil, to the cylinder I6 through a pipe line 30 which leads from achamber 32 (Fig. 2)' to which fluid is supplied under pressure from areservoir 33 (Fig. as fully disclosed in the previously mentionedapplication. Such movement of the toe rest is effected against theresistance of a pair of springs 34, one of which is shown in Fig. 1,connected to the ends of the pin 26 and to the base of the cylinder I6.It will be understood that these springs serve, when permitted, toreturn the toe rest to its initial position. The instep support 8 alsois operated by fluid from the pipe line 30. It comprises a block 36which engages the instep portion of the'upp'er or the last, the blockbeing preferably made of wood to provide a positive support withoutdanger of injuring the upper by contact therewith and being mounted onthe upper end of a rod 38 which serves as a piston vertically movable ina cylinder 40 formed as part of the casting I8 and communicating at itslower end through a passage 42 with the cylinder I6. The'block 36 has aconcave face 44 which substantially fits a convex face on the holder I4to prevent the block from turning. .A pin 46 extends from the holder I4into a slot 48 in the block 36 to serve by engagement with a plate 50pinned to the piston 38 to prevent any accidental movement of the pistonentirely out of the cylinder 40. The piston 38 is of much smallerdiameter than the piston 24, and accordingly the instep support isforced against the shoe or last with less pressure than the toe rest toavoid any tipping of the shoe by the action of the instep supportthereon. The instep support, when permitted, is returned to its initialposition by a pair of springs 52 at opposite sides of the cylinder 40.The plate 50 serves by engagement with the upper end of the cylinder tolimit the downward movement of the instep support.

The above-mentioned chamber 32 is formed in a casting 54 shownfragmentarily in Fig. 2, this casting being fast on a plate 56 whichserves as a closure for the chamber. The admission of fluid to thecylinders I6 and40 for operating the toe rest and the instep support andthe exhaust of fluid from the cylinders are controlled by a sleeve valve58 which is slidingly movable on a tube 60 clamped tightly between thecasting 54 and a coupling 62 communicating with the pipe line 30. Thetube 60 has therein a partition 64 which closes communication betweenits opposite sides of this partition respectively are two sets of ports66 and 68. The valve 58 is provided with an annular chamber I0 throughwhich the ports 66 and 68 are in communication with each other when thevalve is in position to admit fluid from the chamber 32 to the cylindersI6 and 40. The valve is positioned initially against the casting 54, asshown in Fig. 2, with the ports 68 open to exhaust. The valve iscontrolled by an arm I2 ends, and extending through the tube at oppositewhich is pivotally mounted at its upper end on a pin I4 supported on abracket I6 fast on the plate 56. At its lower end the arm carries a pinthe arm I2 holds the valve in its normal position against the casting54. Also pivotally mounted on the pin I4 is a lever 04 between one armof which and a lug 86 on the arm 12 is a compression spring 88. Throughthis spring the arm I2 is operated to move the valve 58 into position toopen communication between the ports 66 and 68 in response to swingingmovement of the lever 84 in a clockwise direction with reference to Fig.2, the movement of the arm being limited by its engagement with a rod 90threaded in the plate 56. The spring 88 is stronger than the spring 82and may yield only after engagement of the arm I2 with the rod 90. Afterbeing operated by the lever 84 the valve 58 is prevented from returningto its starting position by a latch 92 which is pivotally mounted on thelever and is arranged to engage a shoulder 94 formed on a plate 96pivotally mounted on a pin 98 on the bracket I6. The plate is adjustableabout the pin 98 by a screw I00 bearing on the plate 56 and is held inadjusted position by a screw I02 threaded in the bracket 16. The lever84 is operated to move the valve 58 into position to establishcommunication between the ports 66 and 68 by a segmental member I04'adjustably secured to a rotatable control shaft I06 with which themachine is provided. 6 The member I04 has an inclined face I08 which byengagement with a roll IIO on the lever 84'thus operates the lever andhas also an arcuate face II2 concentric with the shaft I06 'for engagingthe roll thereafter to maintain the valve 58 in the position in which itestablishes communica tion between the chamber 32 and the pipe line 30.When the valve is in this position, determined by engagement of the arm12 with the rod 90', the latch 92 is positioned over the shoulder 94 bya spring II4 connected to an arm II6 of the latch, but is spaced abovethe shoulder. When the segmental member I04 passes beyond the roll, N0,the spring 82 moves the valve 58 reversely to 'a position determined byengagement of the latch with the shoulder. When the valve is in this position a portion thereof covers the ports 88, as illustrated by brokenlines in Fig. 2, thereby locking the fluid in the pipe line 30 and inthe cylinders I6 and 40 to hold the: toe rest andthe ports 68 and thusto cause the toe rest and the instep support to be returned to theirstarting positions.

The heel rest I which further assists in controlling the-shoe comprisestwo blocks I22 mounted on pins I24 the ends of which are rotatable inbearings in the two arms of a U-shaped member I26 which serves as aholder for the blocks. Fastened to the blocksby screws I28 is a strip-ofleather I30 arranged to serve as a cover for the blocks andto engage theend face of the shoe. The holder I26 is mounted to swing about two pinsI32 which are fast in the-arms I34 of a yoke member I36. The inner endsof the pins I32 :are V-shaped and extend between the two blocks I22tolimit turning movements of these blocks about the axes of the pins I24and also by engagement with the blocks to limit turning movement of theholder I26 about the pins I32. It will be under stood that uponengagement of the heel rest with the shoe the holder I26 may turnaboutthe pins I32 and the blocks I22 may turn about their own axes toconform to the contour of the heel end face of the shoe heightwise ofthe shoe. The

hub of the yoke member I36 is fast on the reduced front end of a rod I38mounted in a socket formed in a carrier I46 which is fast on a shaft I42the ends of which are mounted to turn in bearings formed i-n'plates Mlfast on the frame casting 253, 0nly one of these plates being visiblein the drawings. The rod I38 may be adjusted lengthwise in the carrierI40 for shoesof different sizes or shapes, and it is held in adjustedposition and also heldfrom turningbya pin I46 arranged to enter any oneof a plurality of holes I48 in the rod. The pin may be withdrawn fromany one of the'holes against the resistance of a spring I50 by means ofa knob I52 fast on the pin.

Swinging movement of the carrier I40 about the axis of the shaft I42 toapply the heel rest to the shoe is effected by a pair of pistons I54which are movable in cylinders I55 spaced apart laterally of the shoeand are connected by rods I58 to arms I50 which are parts of the carrierI40 and extend through openings in the frame casting 20, only one ofthese arms being visible in the drawings. The carrier I40 is thusoperated by balanced forces applied in different locations along itsaxis while providing room for the casting I8 directly under the toe restand the instep support. One of the cylinders I56 is shown in Fig. 1, andboth cylinders are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5. They are suppliedwith fluid from the chamber 32 through a pipe line I62. In case there isno shoe in the machine, swinging movement of the carrier I40 in responseto movements of the pistons I54 is limited by engagement of a shoulderI64 thereon with the frame casting 20. When fluid is permitted toexhaust from the cylinders I56 the heel rest and its carrier arereturned to their initial positions by gravity, their movement beinglimited by engagement of a shoulder I66 on the carrier with the framecasting. Admission of fluid to the cylinders I56 and exhaust of fluidtherefrom are controlled by a valve I68 (Fig. 5) which is of the sameconstruction and operates in the same manner as the valve 58 forcontrolling the movements of the toe rest and the instep support. Thatis, the valve I68 is moved first to admit fluid to the cylinders I56 byestablishing communication between two sets of ports I10 and I12,thereby causing the heel rest to be moved into engagement with the shoe.Thereafter, by a partial reverse movement the valve covers the portsI12, as illustrated by broken lines in Fig. 5,.and thereby locks thefluid in the cylinders I56 to render the heel rest substantiallypositive in its control of the shoe. Later in the cycle the valve isreturned to itsinitial position against the casting 54 to releasethefluid from the cylinders by uncovering the ports I12 and thus to permitthe heel rest to return to its initial position. The mechanismfor thusoperating the valve I68 is not shown in the drawings, since it isessentially of the same construction as the mechanism shown in Fig. 2for controlling the valve-58. 6

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is: i 1

1. In a machine for operating on shoes, the

combination with means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe ona last, of a toe rest and an instep support movable heightwise of theshoe into positions to support the shoe against said pressure andrelatively movable also heightwiseof the shoe to permit them to adjustthemselves to the shoe, and fluid-operated means for moving said toerest and instep support into their shoe-supporting positions whilepermitting such relative movement thereof.

2. In a machine for operating on shoes, the combination with means forapplying pressure to the bottom of a shoe on a last, of a toe rest andan instep support movable heightwise of the shoe into positions tosupport the shoe against said pressure and relatively movable alsoheightwise of the shoe to permit them to adjust themselves totheshoe,fluid-operated mechanism for moving said toe rest and instepsupport into their shoe supporting positions while permitting suchrelative movement thereof, and means for admitting liquid under pressureto said fluid-operated mechanism to operate it and for thereafterlocking the liquid in said mechanism to render the toe rest and instepsupport substantially positive in their action on the shoe.

3. In a machine for operating on shoes, the combination with means forapplying pressure to the bottom of a shoe on a last, of a toe rest andan instep support movable heightwise of the shoe into positions tosupport the shoe against said pressure and relatively movable alsoheightwise of the shoe to permit them to adjust themselves to the shoe,and fluid-operated means comprising cylinders and pistons therein formoving the toe rest and the instep support respectively into theirshoe-supporting positions, the cylinder and piston associated with thetoe rest being of greater diameter than the cylinder and pistonassociated with the instep support.

4. In a machine for operating on shoes, the combination with means forapplying pressure to the bottom of a shoe on a last, of a toe rest andan instep support movable heightwise of the shoe into positions tosupport the shoe against said pressure and relatively movable alsoheightwise of the shoe to permit them to adjust themselves to the shoe,fluid-operated means comprising cylinders and pistons therein for movingthe toe rest and the instep support respectively into theirshoe-supporting positions by fluid pressure, the cylinders being incommunication with each other, and a single valve for admittingoperating fluid to both cylinders.

5. In a machine for operating on shoes, the combination with means forapplying pressure to the bottom of a shoe on a last, of a toe rest andan instep support for supporting the shoe against said pressure, saidtoe rest and instep support being. relatively movable heightwise of theshoe to permit them to adjust themselves to the shoe, fluid-pressuremeans for controlling said toe rest and instep support, and means foradmitting liquid under pressure to said fluid-pressure means and forlocking the liquid therein to render the toe rest and instep supportsubstantially positive in their action on the shoe.

6. In a shoe machine, the combination with means for operating on ashoe, of a heel rest for engaging the heel-end face of the shoe tosupport the shoe, said heel rest comprising members arrangedito press onthe heel-end face of the shoe respectively in different locationsheightwise of the shoe and movable relatively to each other aboutdifierent axes extending laterally of the shoe to permit them to adjustthemselves to the shoe, and a support for said members movablelengthwise of the shoe to apply them to the shoe.

'7. In a shoe machine, the combination with means for operating on ashoe, of a heel rest for engaging the heel-end face of the shoe tosupport the shoe, said heel rest comprising members arranged to press onthe heel-end face of the shoe respectively in different locationsheightwise of the shoe and movable relatively to each other aboutdifferent axes extending laterally of the shoe to permit them to adjustthemselves to the shoe, and a holder supporting said members anditself-movable about an axis extending laterally of the shoe further tofacilitate the adjustment of said members to the shoe in response topressure of the shoe thereon.

8. In a shoe machine, the combination with means for operating on ashoe, of a heel rest for engaging the heel-end face of the shoe tosupport the shoe, said heel rest comprising members arranged to press onthe heel-end face of the shoe respectively in different locationsheightwise' oi the shoe and movable relatively to each other aboutdifferent axes extending 'laterally of the shoe to permit them to adjustthemselves to the shoe, a holder supporting said members and itselfmovable about an axis extending laterally of the shoe further tofacilitate the adjustment of said members to the shoe in response topressure. of the shoe thereon, and means for limiting such movement ofthe holder and also the movements of said members about their own axes.

9. In a shoe machine, the combination with means for operating on ashoe, of a heel rest for engaging the heel-end face of the shoe tosupport the shoe, fluid-operated'mechanism for moving said heel restbodily lengthwise of the shoe intoengagement with the shoe, and meansfor admitting liquid under pressure to said fluid-operated mechanism tooperate it and for thereafter locking the liquid in said mechanism torender the heel rest substantially positive in its action on the shoe.

10. In a shoe machine, the combination with means for operating on ashoe, of a heel rest for engaging the heel-end face of the shoe tosupport the shoe, a support for said heel rest mounted for swingingmovement about an axis extending laterally of the shoe to apply the heelrest to the shoe, and a pair of cylinder-and-piston devices spaced apartlaterally of the shoe and operative by fluid pressure thus to swing saidsupport.

BERNHARDT J ORGENSEN.

